HOLMBERG: Chris Brown scandal could be Mayor’s last straw with Norwood

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR)–Perhaps some would think a superstar like Chris Brown would get special treatment when it came to performing his community service here in his home state, 2,600 miles away from where he severely beat his girlfriend, Rihanna.

But not Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey, who vigorously investigated claims by the Richmond Police Department – and our police chief Bryan Norwood – that Brown had completed his service.

This motion from the D.A., if true, could land Chris Brown back in hot water. And it could cook our chief.

Chief Norwood told me he can’t talk about the allegations until his legal advisors talk to the L.A. District Attorney, and he said it’s too soon to jump to conclusions.

But this L.A. D.A. has come out firing, citing much of the vouched-for community service is “inconsistent, unreliable and cannot be attributed to any source.”

Among the many accusations, Brown didn’t even do work in the approved community, he wasn’t even in the state when some of the service was claimed and he was credited with work that someone else did.

Richmond police claimed 21 separate incidents where officers worked overtime to provide security for the star, but on five of those dates, Brown wasn’t even listed as doing community service, the motion claims. Brown is supposed to pay for this police protection, but the D.A. reports he wasn’t billed yet.

The D.A.’s investigators’ interviews with those who were supposed to supervise Brown are damning, including one incident in which Brown showed up to do office work with friends.

At least two interviews with supervisors did report how difficult it was for Brown to do his service because of fans showing up.

The motion that Brown redo his 180 days of community service acknowledges that Chief Norwood’s staff was tasked with getting it done right, but it’s the chief’s signature on Brown’s documentation.

This court-ordered, supervised work wasn’t supposed to be a party or community service light. The chief pledged sweaty work and rigorous oversight.

The motion shouts that neither happened consistently.

Yes, they are just one side of the story.

But if Richmond’s mayor is, indeed, looking for excuses to replace our police chief, this motion from 2,600 miles away appears to offer them.